Honolulu CC students capture silver and bronze at 2011 Pele Awards

Communication arts program to showcase student work at [re] FORM gallery event

Stationary set designed by Honolulu Community College senior Cobra Gnouilaphi

HONOLULU – Being recognized at the “The Big Show” for their designs was an unexpected honor for two Honolulu Community College students. Held on Saturday, April 23 at the Hawai‘i Theatre, the 2011 Pele Awards sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) recognized Hawai‘i’s best in advertising and design work created in Hawai‘i during the preceding calendar year.

In the student category Silver honors went to Cobra Gnouilaphi, a senior at Honolulu CC, for his collateral material set for HR Biopetroleum, a renewable energy company on the Big Island. While senior Sheryl Nicolas received the Bronze distinction for her stationary and menu set created for her favorite ramen restaurant Goma Tei.

"'What you do now is setting you up for the future.' That’s what one of my professors instilled in me and is a valuable lesson I will remember throughout my career,” shared Gnouilaphi, a 2002 McKinley graduate who studied auto body, auto mechanics, and welding before finding this true passion in commercial design.

On Wednesday, May 4, Gnouilaphi, Nicolas and 15 other communication art seniors will show off their hard work at a gallery event entitled, [re] FORM. The seniors, a rather humorous bunch, developed the [re] FORM concept based on the story line of being sentenced for committing a ‘design’ crime and paying their time in the Honolulu CC penitentiary. Through their time served they are now reformed inmates ready to take on the design community.

From 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Norman W.H. Loui Conference Center (Bldg. 2, Room 201), the ‘inmates’ and their visual portfolio will be on display in hopes that someone will bail them out. The who’s who in the Hawai‘i design community are expected to be present which may result in a future job opportunities for these soon-to-be-graduated seniors. Their playful ‘inmate’ video testimonials can be found at their event website, bailusout.net.

“In the communication arts program we prepare students for entry level employment in graphic and advertising design, desktop and on-line publishing, digital photography, and all aspects of the publishing and printing industries, including service bureaus and other related industries. The goal is to give these students the needed skills to be valuable contributors to the design industry and we are proud of all of their accomplishments,” said Sandra Sanpei, professor, communication arts program.